Projekt COEX. Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi. The COEX Project

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1 Projekt COEX Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi The COEX Project Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe

2 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Projekt LIFE Natura COEX LIFE04NAT/IT/ LIFE Nature Project COEX LIFE04NAT/IT/ Partneri - Partners Association Pays de l Ours ADET Escola Superior Agraria de Castelo Branco Faculdad de Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zagreb FERUS Fonds d Intervention Ecopastoral (FIEP) Fundación Oso Pardo Grupo Lobo La Pastorale Pyrenéenne Legambiente onlus Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Croatia Parco Nazionale d Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga Parco Nazionale della Majella Provincia di Perugia Provincia di Terni WWF France Association Pays de l'ours - ADET - France Veterinarski fakultet, Sveuciliste u Zagrebu Croatia Fonds d'intervention Ecopastoral - France Faculdade de Cências - Universidade de Lisboa Escola Superior Agrária - Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco - Portugal Ferus - France Fundación Oso Pardo - Spain Koordinator - Coordinator Istituto di Ecologia Applicata Su-financijeri - Co-financers European Commission Junta de Castilla y Leon Ministere de l Ecologie et du Développement Durable, Direction de la Nature et des Paysages WWF France Fotografije - Photos Grupo Lobo, Fundación Oso Pardo, Juan Carlos Blanco, FIEP, WWF France, Djuro Huber, Simone Ricci, Annette Mertens, Valeria Salvatori, Luca Convito, Claudio Carletti, Gian Paolo Pollini, Archivio PNALM, Archivio PNGSL. Crteži - Drawings Stefano Maugeri Grupo Lobo - Portugal Legambiente - Italy Parco Nazionale d Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise - Italy Parco Nazionale della Majella - Italy Associacion pour la Cohabitation Pastorale - France Ministarstvo Poljoprivrede Sumarstvai Vodnoga Gospodarstva - Croatia Parco Nazionale Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga - Italy Provincia di Perugia Italy Provincia di Terni - Italy WWF France - France 2

3 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi Sadržaj Table of contents Zašto COEX? 4 Why COEX? 4 Opći ciljevi projekta i provedene aktivnosti 5 General objectives of the project and activities developed 5 Stanje u zemljama u kojima se projekt provodi 6 Background and project countries 6 Rezultati postignuti COEX projektom 1 0 The results achieved by the COEX project 10 Dugoročni učinci projekta 1 8 Long term effects of the project 1 8 3

4 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Zašto COEX? Prisutnost vukova i medvjeda u gusto naseljenoj Europi često dovodi do sukoba s aktivnostima ljudi, što predstavlja prijetnju za očuvanje te dvije zaštićene Europske vrste. Velike zvijeri su dio Europske prirodne baštine i u većini zemalja zapadne Europe njihova je brojnost nakon 2. Svjetskog rata vrlo niska (ponegdje su i potpuno nestale). Tijekom 1970tih i 1980tih proglašene su zaštićenima u većini tih zemalja i nakon toga su populacije općenito porasle. Dalji porast brojnosti velikih zvijeri je zabilježen krajem prošlog desetljeća, najviše zbog napuštanja ruralnih i brdskih područja i odlaska ljudi u gradove. Usprkos tom pozitivnom trendu njihove populacije su i dalje ugrožene, posebno u područjima koja sada naseljavaju ljudi koji su izgubili tradicionalno znanje i iskustvo za učinkovitu zaštitu svojih posjeda od mogućih napada predatora. Projekt COEX je zahvatio sve vidove zaštite vuka i medvjeda, a posebno je usmjeren na sukobe tih vrsta s aktivnostima poput stočarenja i poljoprivrede. Stočari u područjima gdje velike zvijeri nisu bile prisutne određeno vrijeme najčešće ne primjenjuju mjere zaštite od njihovih napada. To povećava vjerojatnost da stoka bude zaklana od vuka, a voćnjak uništen od medvjeda, s posljedicom negativnog stavova lokanog stanovništva prema zvijerima. Kad se štete dogode čak i uz primjenu mjera zaštite, onda više niti isplata nadoknade štete na zadovoljava vlasnika. Aktivnosti razvijene tijekom četiri godine projekta poboljšale su uvjete suživota ljudi i velikih zvijeri u područjima provedbe projekta, putem suradnje institucija koje se bave zaštitom velikih zvijeri i lokalnog stanovništva. WHY COEX? The presence of wolves and bears in densely populated Europe often conflicts with human activities, posing threats to the conservation of these two protected European species. Large carnivores are part of the European natural heritage, and in most western European countries their presence has reached very low densities (if not disappeared completely) in the post-war decades. They were declared protected in most western European countries in the 70s and 80s, and since then their populations have generally grown. A further increase was observed during the end of the last decade mostly due to the general abandonment of the countryside and mountain areas by people moving to the cities. Notwithstanding this general positive trend, their populations are still under threat, particularly in those rural areas they are recolonising after few decades, and where humans have lost their traditional knowledge of practices to effectively protect their holdings from the eventual attacks by the predators. The COEX project tackled the aspects of wolf and bear conservation related to the conflicts these species have with the human activities such as livestock raising and agriculture. Livestock raising practices in areas where the large carnivores have not been present for long time, do not include the implementation of prevention measures against cases of depredation. This increases the probability of livestock to be killed by wolves and orchards being destroyed by bears, which in turns causes the attitudes of local people towards theses carnivores to be negative. In cases where the damage caused by large carnivores is inevitable, even in presence of preventive measures, the procedures for compensation of losses are often not satisfactory for the livestock owners. The activities developed during the four years of the project have improved the conditions of coexistence with large carnivores in the project areas through a collaborative approach between the institutions responsible for the conservation of large carnivores and the local people who often suffer from the intrinsic predatory behaviour of these two large carnivores. 4

5 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi Opći ciljevi projekta i provedene aktivnosti Cilj projekta bio je razviti potrebne pravne i socio-ekonomske uvjete za učinkovitu zaštitu velikih zvijeri u ciljnim područjima, i to smanjivanjem sukoba kroz zajednički pristup. Glavni cilj mogao se postići jedino poboljšanjem uvjeta za suživot između velikih zvijeri i ljudi u projektnom području. Provedene aktivnosti tijekom četiri godine projekta uključivale su: Procjenu šteta izazvanih od velikih zvijeri Izbor posjeda za primjenu mjera zaštitu poput tradicionalnih ograda, električnih ograda, pasa čuvara, pokretnih skrovišta za pastire i malih pokretnih skloništa za janjad Provedba i testiranje turističkih programa za poboljšavanje uvjeta rada pastira (eko-volonteri) i za povećanje ekonomskog učinka ruralnih krajeva (eko-turizam) Razvoj plana gospodarenja psima lutalicama Uspostava Interventnog tima za medvjede u Hrvatskoj Sprječavanje pristupa medvjeda smeću postavljanjem električnih ograda i spremnika koje medvjedi ne mogu otvoriti Poticanje lokalne proizvodnje promocijom medvjedu prijateljskih proizvoda Poboljšavanje postupka kojim se regulira isplata odšteta Organizacija intenzivnih tehničkih radionica za procjenu šteta od velikih zvijeri Praćenje distribucije, gustoće i pojavljivanja velikih zvijeri kao osnova za primjenu pro-aktivnog pristupa u izbjegavanju sukoba sa lokalnim stanovništvom Razvoj školskih programa i informacijskih kampanja sukladno istraživanjima stavova javnosti Promocija načina poboljšavanja suživota poljoprivredne i velikih zvijeri. GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT AND ACTIVITIES DEVELOPED The aim of the project was to develop the necessary legal and socio-economic conditions for effective conservation of large carnivores in the target areas by reducing conflict situations through a participatory approach. This major aim could only be achieved through the improvement of coexistence conditions between large carnivores and humans in the project areas The activities developed during the four years of the project included: The estimation of damage caused by large carnivores; The implementation of preventive measures such as traditional fences, electric fences, mobile huts for shepherds, small mobile enclosures for lambs and livestock guarding dogs; The launch of a program for improving the working conditions of shepherds (ecovolunteers) and of a tourist program for increasing the economic capacity of rural areas; The development of management plans for stray dogs; The set-up of a Bear Emergency Team in Croatia; The prevention of access of bears to garbage dumps and containers, by installation of electric fences and of bearproof containers; The support of farm production that promote the image of bears; The improvement of existing legal procedures for regulating the compensation of damage; The organisation of intensive technical courses for the assessment of damage caused by large carnivores; The monitoring of large carnivores for effectively assessing the increase in their population density and distribution as well as their location, as a basis for the adoption of a pro-active approach in preventing conflicts with local populations; The development of school programmes and information campaigns, associated with public surveys; The dissemination of techniques to improve coexistence of agricultural practices and large carnivores. 5

6 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Stanje u zemljama u kojima se projekt provodi Kulturni i socio-ekonomski uvjeti u većini zemalja južne Europe su slični i pristup gospodarenju domaćim životinjama ima mnogo zajedničkih točaka. Projekt se provodio u pet zemalja tog područja koristeći izmjenu iskustava među zemljama sa sličnim problemima i pristupima upravljanju divljim životinjama i ruralnim područjima. Projekt je proveden u Portugalu, Španjolskoj (južno od rijeke Duero), Francuskoj, Italiji i Hrvatskoj. Vrste koje se kreću prostranim područjima nedovoljno je štititi samo unutar zaštićenih područja, pa su napori u ovom projektu bili i u nacionalnim parkovima i na nezaštićenim područjima, a s ciljem da se osigura najveća moguća koegzistencija i među tim područjima. BACKGROUND AND PROJECT COUNTRIES The cultural and socio-economic conditions of most southern European countries are similar and the approaches for the management of livestock have many points in common. The project was developed across five southern European countries, capitalising the facility in sharing experiences across countries that hold similar problems and approaches to the management of wildlife and rural areas. The project areas were in Portugal, Spain (south of the Duero river), France, Italy and Croatia. The conservation of species ranging over wide areas is very often insufficient if considered only inside protected areas, thus our efforts were focused both inside National Parks and in unprotected territories, in order to ensure the most possible consistence between areas inside and outside the limits of National protection. 6

7 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi U Portugalu je projekt bio usmjeren na vuka, vrstu koja je tamo ugrožena zbog sukoba sa stočarskom proizvodnjom, a koji je pojačan i nedostatkom prirodnog plijena. Drugi problem je moguće natjecanje oko hrane, pa i križanje vukova s psima lutalicama, uključujući i problem da su za štete od pasa često okrivljeni vukovi. U okviru aktivnosti u toj zemlji stočarima su bili donirani psi čuvari lokalnih pasmina i električne ograde, prihvaćen je novi plan za gospodarenje psima lutalicama, te razvijen program eko-turizma za vrednovanje ruralnih područja u kojima žive vukovi. Istovremeno su trajno praćeni prisutnost i brojnost vukova, kao i učestalost šteta od vukova. Neke su se od tih aktivnosti provodile u Portugalu i prije ovog projekta, a one koje su razvijene sa COEX projektom predstavljale su prijenos iskustava na područja koja nisu prethodno bila pokrivena. Portugalski partneri bili su NGO Grupo Lobo, Escola Superior Agrária de Castelo Branco i Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. U Portugalu su (kao i u Hrvatskoj) izrađeni eko-turistički programi za testiranje potencijala velikih zvijeri da doprinesu razvoju takovih aktivnosti u ruralnim područjima. Program se odvija u raznim oblicima sa sadržajima od jednog do pet dana, uključujući i jednodnevne posjete staništu vuka ili medvjeda gdje se traže njihovi tragovi, koriste objekti i ponuda proizvoda lokalnih ljudi. Iskustvo življenja u staništu vuka uključuje dan sa pastirima u Portugalu. Reakcije ljudi koji su sudjelovali u programu su vrlo pozitivne i ohrabrujuće. Priručnik za izvođenje takovog ekoturizma izrađen je i u Hrvatskoj (Slika 12). U Španjolskoj je projekt COEX bio poduprt od vlada pokrajine Castilla Léon, gdje su se provodile i aktivnosti. Španjolski vukovi zaštićeni su samo južno od rijeka Duero gdje je populacija ugrožena zbog sukoba s ekstenzivnim stočarenjem. Vuk je u Španjolskoj tradicionalno bio predmet lova (i danas je sjeverno od rijeke Duero), a pritisak lokalnog stanovništva se povećava na tom južnom dijelu njegove rasprostranjenosti gdje je lov zabranjen, pa je sprječavanje sukoba od izuzetne važnosti. Aktivnosti provedene u Španjolskoj uključivale su donacije električnih i tradicionalnih ograda za proširene oblike uzgoja stoke (uključujući i visoko vrijedne bikove za borbe), donacije španjolskih pasa čuvara stoke, izradu programa gospodarenja psima lutalicama i reviziju postupka plaćanja odšteta. Istovremeno se u cijelom području projekta pratila prisutnost i brojnost vukova. Prije ovog projekta nije bilo pomaganja uzgajačima stoke putem donacija za sprječavanje šteta od vukova u provincijama Castilla Léon južno od rijeke Duero, te to predstavlja inovativni pristup za poboljšavanje suživota ljudi i vukova. Španjolski partner u projektu bila je nevladina organizacija Oso Pardo. The project targeted wolves in Portugal, where the species is under threat because of the conflicts with livestock production caused by the high impact it has on livestock due to the scarcity of its wild prey. Another problem is the potential competition and inbreeding with stray dogs, and the fact that damage caused by these dogs can be blamed on wolves. The activities developed in this country included the donation of livestock guarding dogs of local breeds and electric fences, the elaboration of a plan for management of stray dogs and the development of an ecotourism program for valorising the rural areas where wolves are present. At the same time, the presence and density of wolves as well as the intensity of damage caused by them were constantly monitored. Some of these activities were already ongoing in Portugal before the project started, and those developed within the COEX represented a transfer of experience in areas not previously considered in other projects. The Portuguese partners included ONG Grupo Lobo, the Escola Superior Agrária de Castelo Branco and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. In Spain the COEX project enjoyed the support of the Castilla and Léon Government, in which territory the activities were developed. Spanish wolves are only protected south of the Duero river, where the segment of the population is under threat because of conflicts it causes with the extensive practices of livestock husbandry. Traditionally hunted in Spain (and still is North of the Duero river), this species is under increasing pressure from local people in this portion of its range, where hunting is banned and the mitigation of conflicts is of fundamental importance. The activities developed in Spain included the lease of electric and conventional fences for extensive livestock raising practices (including high value fighting bulls), the lease of Spanish livestock guarding dogs, the development of a management plan for stray dogs and the revision of the procedure for compensation of damage. At the same time the monitoring of the presence and density of wolves was carried out in the whole project area. The assistance to livestock raisers through purchase and allocation of damage prevention measures in the areas of Spain south of the Duero river, within the territory of the Castilla and Léon Autonomous Community, had not previously been developed and the COEX project represented an innovative approach to the improvement of coexistence between humans and wolves. The Spanish partner was the ONG Oso Pardo. 7

8 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe U Francuskoj vukovi i medvjedi su prisutni u Alpama odnosno u Pirinejima. Iako se nedavno pojavio manji broj vukova i u Pirinejima, projekt COEX se bavio vukovima u Alpama i medvjedima u Pirinejima. Aktivnosti u vezi mjera sprječavanja šteta i praćenje velikih zvijeri u nadležnosti su Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, pa se COEX projekt prvenstveno orijentirao na socijalne i ekonomske aspekte, poticanje prodaje lokalnih proizvoda pod znakom medvjedu prijateljskih, uključivanje volontera u napore stočara da zaštite svoja stada od napada vukova. Vukovi u Alpama žive u vrlo konfliktnoj situaciji gdje su štete vrlo nepredvidljive i imaju jak učinak na lokalnu ekonomiju. Isto vrijedi i za medvjede u Pirinejima gdje se prethodne reintrodukcije povećale vrlo malu i ugroženu populaciju. Sprječavanje sukoba u tom području je izuzetno važno za preživljavanje dva velika predatora, a projekt COEX je povezao aktivnosti koje je već provodila vlada sa dodatnim načinima za smanjivanje negativnih stavova ljudi koji dijele životni prostor sa vukovima i medvjedima. Partneri uključeni u provedbu COEX projekta u Francuskoj su bili WWF France, La Pastorale Pyrenéenne (prethodno Association pour la Cohabitation Pastorale), FERUS, FIEP i Pays de l Ours Adet uz financijsku pomoć Francuskog Ministarstva okoliša i njegove lokalne podružnice u srednjim Pirinejima. Populacija vukova u Italiji u relativnom je dobrom stanju od kada je u 1970tim zaštićena. Ipak, proces širenja vukova uključio je i područja gdje ih dugo nije bilo i gdje su se izgubili tradicionalni načini čuvanja stoke. Projekt COEX je pojačao učinak razmjene iskustava među ljudima koji povijesno žive u područjima nastanjenim vukom poput Abruzza sa onima gdje su se vukovi nedavno vratili poput susjedne regije Umbrie. populacija medvjeda kojom se bavio ovaj projekt je vrlo mala i ograničena na regiju Abruzzo, te Abruzzo Lazio i Nacionalni park Molise. Medvjed je ovdje jako ugrožen i intenzivno se znanstveno istražuje za potrebe zaštite. Aktivnosti u Italiji su išle za povećanjem primjene mjera zaštite stoke i njihovo širenje u područja gdje su bile zapuštene. Mjere su uključivale električne ograde i pse čuvare. Ostale mjere su uključivale su smanjivanje sukoba poboljšavanjem uvjeta života stočara, poboljšavanje postupka plaćanja odšteta za štete od vuka i medvjeda i usavršavanje tehnike procjene šteta putem posebnih tečajeva. Partneri koji su provodili aktivnosti u Italiji bili su Nacionalni park Abruzzo Lazio i Molise, Nacionalni park Majella, Nacionalni park Gran Sasso, Nacionalni park Monti della Laga, te provincijska administracija Terni i Perugia i nevladina organizacija Legambiente. In France wolves and bears are present in the Alps and in the Pyrenees, respectively. Although a small number of wolves have recently been detected in the Pyrenees, the COEX project only focused on wolves in the Alps and on bears in the Pyrenees. Given that the activities related to the allocation of damage prevention measures and monitoring of large carnivores are under the responsibility of the governmental Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, the activities developed within the COEX project were focused mainly on social and economic aspects, fostering the sale of local products under a bear-friendly trade mark, involving volunteers for integrating the efforts of shepherds in the protection of flocks against predation by wolves. Wolves in the Alps live in a highly conflictive situation whereby the losses suffered by livestock owners are often irregular and of high impact on the local economy. This is also true for the bear in the Pyrenees, where previous reintroduction projects have contributed to the increase of the very small and endangered original population. The mitigation of conflicts in these areas is extremely important for the survival of the two large predators, and the COEX project integrated the activities already developed by the Government with additional means for decreasing the negative attitudes of people sharing the land with wolves and bears. The partners involved for implementation of COEX activities in France were WWF France, La Pastorale Pyrenéenne (formerly Association pour la Cohabitation Pastorale), FERUS, FIEP and Pays de l Ours Adet with the financial support of the French Ministry of Environment and its Regional Directorate for the Environment of Midi-Pyrenees. The wolf population in Italy is in relatively good conditions, following its full protection in the 70s. Nevertheless, in the process of expansion of its distribution range it has occupied areas where it had previously disappeared and where the traditional practices of livestock protection were lost. The COEX project amplified the power of experience exchange between people living in areas historically inhabited by wolves, namely in the Abruzzo region, and those living in areas recently re-colonised by the predator in a neighbouring region (Umbria). The bear population targeted by the project is very small and only limited to the Abruzzo region, most probably within the Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park. It is highly endangered and extensive scientific studies for its conservation are being carried out. The activities developed in Italy focused on the increase of the use of livestock protection measures and their spread into areas where their use had been lost. 8

9 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi Iako Hrvatska još nije članica EU, uključena je u projekt kao zemlja s velikom populacijom medvjeda, a koja bi mogla imati problema zbog različitih razloga poput sukoba oko šteta na pčelinjim košnicama i voćnjacima, i posebno zbog navikavanju medvjeda da se hrane na smeću. Takovo odstupanje od prirodnog ponašanja nosi velik potencijal za konflikt sa čovjekom. U Hrvatskoj su provedene akcije na izradi kontejnera koje medvjedi ne mogu otvoriti, ograđivanje smetlišta da se spriječi pristup medvjedima, donacije električnih ograda pčelarima i farmerima, te uspostavljanje Interventnog tima za medvjede za djelovanje u kritičnim situacijama, uvođenje zaštićene markice za medvjedu prijateljske proizvode, izrada priručnika za eko-turizam i praćenje populacije medvjeda radi ranog prepoznavanja kritičnih situacija. Partneri u Hrvatskoj bili su Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu i Ministarstvo Poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodnog gospodarstva (kasnije Ministarstvo regionalnog razvoja, šumarstva i vodnoga gospodarstva). NGO Istituto di Ecologia Applicata (IEA) sa sjedištem u Rimu (Italija) bio je koordinator cijelog projekta, odnosno svih aktivnosti u Italiji i u ostalim zemljama projekta. Svi su partneri pridonijeli u praćenju učinkovitosti primijenjenih mjera. Osoblje IEA je također prenosilo projektne aktivnosti općoj javnosti i ciljnim skupinama poput lokalnog stanovništva, uzgajača stoke, znanstvene zajednice, i međunarodnoj zajednici odgovornoj za tehničko i administrativno upravljanje velikim zvijerima i sukobima koje one predstavljaju za djelatnosti ljudi. Protective measures included electric fences and livestock guarding dogs. Other activities for the mitigation of conflicts included the improvement of living conditions of shepherds, the improvement of the procedures for compensation of damage caused by wolves and bears, and the refinement of techniques for assessment of damage through specific technical courses. The partners that implemented the activities in Italy were the Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park, the Majella National Park, the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, the Provincial Administrations of Terni and Perugia and the NGO Legambiente. Although not yet a EU member State, Croatia was a project country in that it hosts a large population of bears that can potentially be under threat for various reasons: the conflicts they cause for depredating honey bees and orchards and the habits they tend to acquire to feed on garbage that may be a source of potentially high risk of conflicts with humans in addition to being a deviation from natural behaviour. The activities carried out in Croatia included the construction of bearproof bins and the fencing of garbage dumps for avoiding bears feeding on garbage, the establishment of a bear emergency team for immediate intervention in critical situations, the introduction of a bear-friendly product trade mark, the publication of a best practice manual for eco-tourism, and the monitoring of bear population for identifying critical situations in advance. The partners in Croatia were the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Zagreb and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The NGO Istituto di Ecologia Applicata (based in Rome, Italy) was the coordinator of the whole project activities developed both in Italy and in the other countries. All the partners contributed to the monitoring of effectiveness of the implemented activities and to the dissemination of results. Project staff from IEA also participated in the communication of project activities to the main public and other sectors, such as the local communities, livestock raisers, the scientific community and the international community responsible technically and administratively for the management of the large carnivores and the conflicts they pose with human activities. 9

10 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Rezultati postignuti COEX projektom Dostignuća projekta bila su vrlo zadovoljavajuća i uspjeh je pojačan dijeljenjem znanja, vještina i iskustva unutar pet uključenih zemalja. Održane su diskusije sa predstavnicima drugih zemalja putem međunarodnih konferencija i simpozija održanih tijekom trajanja projekta. THE RESULTS ACHIEVED BY THE COEX PROJECT The achievements of the project were highly satisfactory and the success was amplified through the sharing of knowledge, expertise and experience across the five involved countries. Discussions were also held with representatives of other countries through the international conferences and symposia held during the project. 10

11 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi Ukupno je u različitim područjima projekta lokalnim stočarima predano 290 električnih ograda, 15 tradicionalnih ograda, 7 pokretnih torova, i 2 kolibe, 245 pasa čuvara stoke lokalnih pasmina i sve je to bilo kontinuirano praćeno u smislu ispravne uporabe i zdravlja pasa. In the different project areas a total of 290 electric fences, 15 traditional fences, 7 mobile enclosures and 2 huts have been given to local shepherds and livestock raisers. 11

12 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Proveden je i projekt za sveučilišni stupanj, a koji je proučavao ponašanje pasa iz Abruzza i svojim rezultatima je pokazao da je ta pasmina vrhunski pogodna za čuvanje stada, ali i da pažnja tijekom odgoja bitno utječe na njihovu učinkovitost. 245 livestock guarding dogs from the local breeds were also given and constantly checked for they good health and effectiveness. A University degree project was also dedicated to the study of the behaviour of the Abruzzo dogs, which results show that this breed is indeed highly suited for the protection of flocks, but the care in its education is highly influential for the effectiveness of its work. Primatelji ovih mjera zaštite bili su jako zadovoljni i izjavili su da su mjere zaštite stvarno učinkovite u zaustavljanju predatora, da pružaju zaštitu stoci i do tako ljudi postižu veću kvalitetu života Zabilježen je značajan pad broja šteta, i to u rasponu od 20 do 100% (u prosjeku 51%). Mnogi ljudi koji su primijenili mjere zaštite izjavili su da nisu više imali šteta nakon što su metode ispravno primijenili. Iako se ukupna količina šteta na područjima projekta nije smanjila, ona se je definitivno smanjila pa čak i nestala na mjestima gdje su primijenjene mjere zaštite. The beneficiaries of these measures were highly satisfied and declared that preventive measures are really effective to face the predators, they give protection to livestock and so people gain in quality of life.... There was a significant reduction in damage suffered, varying between 20 and 100%. Although the overall problem in the project areas may not have been totally solved, the damage has certainly decreased, and in some case has gone down to zero, in those locations where the preventive measures were put in place. 12

13 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi U više slučajeva je učinkovitost električnih ograda bila toliko visoka da su susjedni stočari bili potaknuti da kupe ograde i zatražili su tehničku pomoć partnera ovog projekta za ispravno postavljanje tih ograda. In several cases the effectiveness of the electric fences installed was so high that the neighbouring livestock owners were stimulated to purchase some other fences and requested the technical assistance of the project partners for proper installation. Provdene su mnoge javne edukativne aktivnosti, uključujući i organizacije lokalnih tematskih radionica, tiskanje informativnih letaka o upotrebi električnih ograda i odgoju pasa čuvara, izradi školskih programa, te vjesnik projekta, a svi su zajedno pridonijeli porastu osjetljivosti javnosti za pitanje sukoba sa velikim zvijerima. Proizveden je obrazovni paket za srednje škole, koji je testiran u 16 škola na 400 đaka, a sada je raspoloživ za raspodjelu zainteresiranim stranama. The complex of awareness raising activities, including the organisation of local thematic workshops, the production of information leaflets on large carnivores and on how to use the electric fences and how to raise the livestock guarding dogs, the development of school programmes and the project newsletter have all contributed to increase the sensibility of the public towards the conflict situations. An educational kit for secondary schools was produced and tested in 16 schools with the participation of 400 students, and it is available for distribution to any interested party. 13

14 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Izrađena je karta potencijalnog rizika za napade velikih zvijeri u područjima projekta, i to povezivanjem podataka o prisutnosti vukova i medvjeda, položaja zabilježenih šteta i uvjeta okoliša na tim lokacijama. Ta karta može poslužiti kao polazna osnova za unos dodatnih varijabli poput broja prisutnih stada, vrsta i učestalosti primijenjenih mjera za sprječavanje šteta i dati vrlo korisne informacije specifične za pojedinu lokaciju. The integration of information on the presence of the wolves and bears in the project areas, the locations of registered damage to livestock and the environmental conditions at those locations, allowed us to develop an indicative map of potential risk that could serve as starting point, given that more detailed information on other variables would be required, such as the density of livestock present, or the type and density of preventive measures on site would provide highly sitespecific and useful information. Karta pokazuje da je stoka koja nije čuvana na područjima koja imaju šumskog pokrova pokraj otvorenih površina, ili pašnjacima koji su blizu šume, a daleko od urbanih područja u opasanosti od napada vukova (ili medvjeda u Hrvatskoj). Naravno to je samo alat koji nam daje opću sliku, a detaljnije spoznaje mogu se dokučiti na lokalnoj razini ako se ti podaci koriste u gospodarenju. Većina preventivnih mjera upotrijebljenih u ovom projektu stavljeno je na mjesta koja su klasificirana u zone visokog rizika, pa je tako projekt djelovao u smislu smanjivanja rizika za stoku od velikih zvijeri. The map tells us that livestock left unguarded in all those areas with characteristics such as woodland cover near open areas, or pastures close to forested areas, and far from urban areas are potentially prone to attacks by wolves (or bears in Croatia). Obviously, this is only a tool to give an overall picture and a more detailed and information-fed analysis should be carried out at local level if such information shall be used for management purposes. The majority of preventive measures allocated in the project areas were placed in areas classified as being at high potential risk, thus the project acted towards the minimisation of the risk of livestock being attacked by large carnivores. 14

15 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi Međunarodni karakter projekta omogućio je stranama uključenim u gospodarenje vukovima i medvjedima (to uključuje i vlasnike stoke) da dijele svoja iskustva s kolegama iz inozemstva. Sustava izmjene iskustava je dao priliku da pripadnici različitih interesnih skupina posjete svoje kolege u drugim COEX zemljama. Između ostalih, Portugalski su turistički operatori posjetili Francusku kako bi učili pokretanje programa eko-turizma, pastiri iz francuskih Pirineja bili su u Italiji sa pastirima iz Abruzza da upoznaju kako oni žive s tamo stalno prisutnim vukovima, Talijanski tehničari iz administracije Perugie su bili u Hrvatskoj da uče načine prepoznavanja napada predatora na stoku, Hrvatski stručnjaci su u Francuskim Pirinejima učili kako poticati proizvodnju lokalnih proizvoda a etiketom medvjedu prijateljskih proizvoda, talijanski studenti su u Portugalu učili kako istraživati ponašanja pasa čuvara, a Španjolski stručnjaci su u Italiji učili postavljanje električnih ograda na način da budu učinkovite protiv napada vukova. The project enjoyed the international character that allowed actors involved in the management of wolves and bears (and these include livestock owners) to share their experiences with colleagues from abroad. A system of experience exchange was set up that allowed visits of many representatives of different groups of interests to their colleagues in other COEX project countries. Visits were made, among others, by Portuguese tourist operators to France for learning how to set up an eco-tourism programme; by shepherds from the French Pyrenees to Italy for knowing how the shepherds from Abruzzo deal with the long established presence of wolf; by Italian technicians from the Perugia Administration to Croatia for learning techniques on how to detect attacks from large carnivores to livestock; by Croatian technical staff to the French Pyrenees for learning how to encourage the production of local products Ove razmjene iskustava zasnivale su se na mogućnosti da se ono što je već poznato u jednom području prenese u drugo područje uz prilagodbe za lokalne uvjete. Uspjeh iskustava takovih razmjena je bio izuzetno visok. and create a bear-friendly trade mark; by Italian students to Portugal for learning how to study the behaviour of livestock guarding dogs; by Spanish technical staff to Italy for learning how to set up electric fences that would be effective against wolf attacks. These exchanges of experiences capitalised on what was already known in one area and the possibility to transfer such knowledge to other areas, adapting it to the local conditions. The success of such experience exchange mechanism was extremely high. 15

16 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Provedena revizija i kritička usporedba planova gospodarenja štetama je dovela do značajnih poboljšanja u područjima projekta i izvan njih. Poticaji za primjenu mjera zaštite uključeni su u novo prihvaćeni plan gospodarenja vukom u pokrajini Castilla i Leon, a novi parametri za kompenzaciju šteta su ugrađeni u postupak u Nacionalnom parku Gran Sasso Laga. Nacionalni park Majella je razvio računalni program za brzu i objektivnu procjenu štete i cijeli postupak kompenzacije. Program je distribuiran ostalim partnerima projekta i otvoren je za uporabu i prilagođivanje svima koji ga žele upotrijebiti. The revision and critical comparison of the different damage management systems was performed and lead to significant improvement in the study areas and beyond. Incentives for the installation of preventive measures were included in the newly approved wolf management plan for the Castilla and Léon Region, and new values for compensation of damage were updated in the management procedures of Gran Sasso Laga National Park. Majella National Park has developed a software for the rapid and objective assessment of damage and the whole procedure for compensation. The software was distributed to the other project partners, it is open source, thus modifiable by whoever wants to use it, and was also requested by the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. It is available for distribution to any eventual interested party. 16

17 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi U Hrvatskoj je uspostavljam Interventni tim za medvjede. Sastoji se od devet članova koji su lovni profesionalci ili biolozi iz cijelog područja medvjeda. Te osobe su spremne posjetiti svako mjesto neuobičajene štete od medvjeda, svaku smrtnost medvjeda izvan lova i posebno intervenirati u slučajevima pojave problematičnih medvjeda. Tim je opremljen gumenim metcima i petardama, te injekcijskom puškom. Također mogu postavljati zamke za hvatanje živih medvjeda. Kada medvjedi izazivaju sukobe članovi tima izlaze na teren i pokušavaju riješiti problem. Od uspostavljanja u godini tim je imao preko 40 korisnih intervencija, a kao dio toga je i broj dozvola za odstrjel problematičnih medvjeda smanjen u posljednje dvije godine. In Croatia a Bear Emergency Team was set up. It is composed of nine hunters, game managers and wildlife biologists from all over the bear range. These people are ready to visit each unusual bear damage site, unusual bear death, and specially to intervene in cases of problem bear appearance. The team is equipped with guns with cracker shells (noisy explosives), with rubber bullets and an immobilizing (dart) gun. In addition they will have traps for trapping live bears. In any case of bears causing conflicts with human activities the bear emergency team will be at the site in the shortest possible time to try to solve the problem. Since its creation in 2005 the team has made over 40 successful interventions, and as a consequence of its effectiveness the number of hunting permits issued for culling problematic bears has decreased in the last two years. In the French Alps 240 ecovolunteers were trained to assist livestock raisers in their daily work on the alpine pastures. The volunteers assisted the shepherds in night surveillance, herding, reinforcement of protection structures etc.. Also, a crisis team operated when a critical situation was detected, such as presence of wolves in the area, predation, lost sheep etc. In the past four years the volunteers provided over 3500 working days for helping shepherds on the alpine pastures. Fourty livestock breeders benefited from this initiative. U Francuskim Alpama uvježbano je 240 eko-volontera koji pomažu stočarima u dnevnom radu na alpskim pašnjacima. Oni im pomažu u noćnom čuvanju, prikupljanju stada, postavljanju struktura za zaštitu i drugo. Također i krizni tim djeluje kad se pojave kritične situacije poput pojave vukova u području, napada, gubitka ovaca i slično. U protekle 4 godine volonteri su odradili 3500 radnih dana pomažući pastirima na alpskim pašnjacima. Od te aktivnosti koristi je imalo četrdeset stočara. 17

18 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Dugoročni učinci projekta U Portugalu i u Hrvatskoj izrađeni su eko-turistički programi za testiranje potencijala velikih zvijeri da doprinesu razvoju takovih aktivnosti u ruralnim područjima. Program se odvija u raznim oblicima sa sadržajima od jednog do pet dana, uključujući i jednodnevne posjete staništu vuka ili medvjeda gdje se traže njihovi tragovi, koriste objekti i ponuda proizvoda lokalnih ljudi. Iskustvo "življenja u staništu vuka" uključuje dan sa pastirima u Portugalu. Reakcije ljudi koji su sudjelovali u programu su vrlo pozitivne i ohrabrujuće. Priručnik za izvođenje takovog ekoturizma izrađen je i u Hrvatskoj. In Portugal and in Croatia pilot ecotourism programmes were developed to test the potential for large carnivores to contribute to the development of ecotourism activities in rural areas. The programmes are still ongoing and a variety of options were developed ranging from 1 to 5 days, including a one-day visit to wolf/bear areas to tracking on the trails of large carnivores in search for signs of presence, using facilities from local people, and fostering the market of local products. Another proposal includes a day with the shepherds in areas inhabited by wolves in Portugal. The feedback from participants was overall highly positive and encouraging. A manual for best practices in ecotourism in Croatia and Portugal was also developed. 18

19 Unapređivanje suživota velikih zvijeri i poljoprivrede u južnoj Europi Ti problemi nisu samo odgovornost administracije, nego također i vrlo praktično, svih ljudi koji žive i rade u područjima gdje te vrste predatora žive. Podjelom odgovornosti i spoznajom da su u nekim drugim zemljama neki od problema riješeni potaknute su interesne skupine na inicijativu i pro-aktivno djelovanje prema nalaženju prihvatljivih rješenja. Sukob između velikih zvijeri i ljudskih aktivnosti u područjima projekta bio je značajan, a stanje je poboljšano primjenom raznovrsnih prethodno opisanih mjera. Partneri projekta uključili su neke od tih aktivnosti u buduće gospodarenje, a razmjena iskustava bit će nastavljena i sa partnerima iz drugih zemalja Europe, poput Bugarske, Grčke i Rumunjske. LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT The overall message of the project was that of Life projects as an extremely effective instrument for implementing concrete actions for the safeguard of protected species and of human activities that share the land with them. It was extremely important to send across a message of shared responsibility. Coexistence with large carnivores requires sharing problems among all interest groups. The COEX partners were of different nature and all are involved in the problematic management issues of wolves and bears. Such issues are not only under the responsibility of the local administration, but also, and very practically so, of the people who live and work in the areas inhabited by those protected species. By sharing the responsibility and by knowing that in other countries some problems have been overcome made the interested parties to take initiatives and act pro-actively towards the finding of sustainable solutions. In the project areas the management of conflicts between large carnivores and human activities has been considered important and has improved through the implementation of the various measures described above. The project partners have included some of these measures in their future management activities and a transfer of the experience gained will be continued in the future with partners from other European countries, like Bulgaria, Greece and Romania. 19

20 Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in Southern Europe Izvješće je pripremljeno za Life Nature projekt Improving coexistence between large carnivores and agriculture in S Europe (LIFE04NAT/IT/000144) sufinanciran od Europske komisije putem programa LIFE. Za više informacija o projektu posjetite web stranicu Report prepared under the Life Nature project Improving coexistence between large carnivores and agriculture in S Europe (LIFE04NAT/IT/000144) co-financed by the European Commission s financial instrument for environment LIFE. For more information about the project visit the web site 20